10 Best Bets for $75 or Less – 5-Pockets, getaway bags, & more.

Seventy Five dollars. That’s a lot of money. It’ll get you a couple pairs of Levi’s, a nice dinner out, or a couple months at your local gym. Seventy Five dollars. It is a lot of money, especially if you spend it right. Ten picks follow, all for $75 or under, and some of them are much, much less.

 

H&M Stretch Jersey Polo – $12.95

Because one day, for all those buried under 97 feet of snow, it’ll be warm again. Promise. And it’s already warm in other places. And you could go there. And you could wear a light-weight fabric polo shirt like one of these, and a favorite pair of sunglasses, and have a beer and sit by a pool or on a deck and just absorb some vitamin d. 95% cotton, 5% spandex. Looks like they’ve started to roll out the basic colors (black, white, navy, a light blue…) & should follow up with more in the coming weeks.

 

Making a note to send your sig. other flowers in March

By then, Valentine’s Day will be extremely faded in the rear view mirror. Put a reminder in your phone or whatever calendar you happen to use. Flowers for no reason > Flowers on Valentine’s Day x ∞. By March, if it’s starting to warm up and your sig. other is longing for spring (like many of the lady-types seem to do), it’ll make their day. If those flowers leads to you getting lucky, feel free to scream out “THANK YOU DAPPERED” in ecsta… no, wait. no. Don’t do that.

 

1901 Shawl Collar Puffer Vest – $44.75 ($89.50)

More than a little “lumbersexual“… but who cares? Early to late spring is the perfect time for vests. The temps can be unpredictable, and if you’re out for a hike or a walk, you might get 25 minutes in and want to hack the sleeves off your jacket. Let them pits breathe, but still keep your core from being uncomfortably cold. Shawl collar here, and available in either the red buffalo check, or, grey herringbone. 100% cotton with poly insulation. Ships and returns free via Nordstrom.

 

Cole Haan Whitman Shoe Horn – $24.95 ($48)

Perfect for the guys who have the kind of commute to work that requires a change of shoes once you get there (say, if you bike to work, or make a morning stop at your gym along the way). 7″ long so it should fit in most dopp kits for travelling. Available in black or brown, each with a “natural” shade on the flip side.

 

Old Navy Slim-Fit 5 Pocket Canvas Pants – $23.65 – $27.95

A true slim fit, so might be a challenge to get in for some body types. Well reviewed, and available in a couple of great, “it’s starting to warm up” shades (namely the “heron” slate blue on the right, and the off-white “a shore thing” in the middle). Always on sale.

 

Made in the USA Copper Money Clip – $59.00

Cut, bent, and polished by hand at a one-man workshop in upstate New York. Will develop its own unique patina over time. Hard not to love that warm glow of copper.

 

Banana Republic Traveler Jeans – $70.80 w/ BRSAVENOW ($118)

Been awhile since these weren’t excluded from a code. Major thanks to reader Eric S. for sending in the style tip on this one. These jeans are nice and slim, but super soft with a ton of stretch. Not cheap, even with the code, but unique (in a good way) in the world of denim. Great for guys with thicker (but not enormous) legs, yet don’t find slim jeans comfortable. Full review here. Code BRSAVENOW is good for 40% off through today (2/24) and then 35% off tomorrow (2/25).

 

This American Life’s podcast on internet comments – FREE

From the predictably ridiculous to the sadly sinister. NPR’s This American Life explores the world of internet comments. Hat tip to our tech guru Paul for this one.

 

UNIQLO Linen/Cotton Blazers – $79.90

So not quite under $75… but they’ll go on sale at some point. 63% linen, 37% cotton, and appears to be totally unlined at the back? Still appears to have the UNIQLO silhouette (short tail, long arms, slightly higher button stance) but the price and materials seem to be awfully right. Five colors to pick from, including that icy blue seen above, as well as a deep navy.

 

Beckel Canvas “War Bag” – $75.00

We’re halfway through February. If you’ve stuck with your New Year’s fitness resolutions up till now, chances are, they’re gonna stick. Or perhaps you’ve been extra patient with the hordes of new-years-resolutioners who have crowded your local fitness facility, and it’s time for a reward now that they’ve started to (predictably) taper off. The Beckel Canvas War Bag has been mentioned before, and will be mentioned again. Made in the USA. Cotton canvas that’s easy to hand scrub if it starts to gather funk. And thankfully, not some outrageously tiny thing either. Dimensions = 11″ x 11″ x 23″.

 

BONUS: 1st Behind-the-scenes look at “SPECTRE” – 1:49 of your life

Can’t wait for the new Bond flick. A car chase through the Austrian Alps? A glass & steel building high up in said mountains? Sheer drop offs, amazing lake vistas, burning cars, spent rounds, and the production designer admitting that the goal here is to “top Skyfall.”

For other best bets under $75 from previous months, click here.